Saying, “it’s easier to pitch with all those runs,” Taft High ace Emma Coulter relied on a prodigious offense and her own robust right arm Wednesday to propel the Tigers into the quarterfinals of the Class 3A OSAA State Softball Championships.
“Our bats came alive right in the beginning, so that was really good for us,” Taft’s junior starter said after the host Tigers eliminated Vale from the 16-team tournament 11-1 in an opening-round game shortened to five innings by the state’s 10-run mercy rule.
The Tigers scored twice in the first, four runs in the fourth and five in the fifth to close out the win. Freshman Addie Gates and sophomore Kayla Lininger had three hits each for Taft, while Linginer had four RBIs and Gates three. Coulter drove home three runs.
“Today was excellent,” Taft coach Sandy Stuart said. “The girls came out pumped up. They were high energy and cheering the entire time and you could tell they wanted it.”
Lon French Photos
Sixth-seeded Taft will meet No. 3 seed Cascade Christian (21-7, 10-2 Far West) Friday in the quarterfinals at a time to be determined at US Cellular Community Park Field in Medford. Cascade Christian downed No. 14 Blanchet Catholic (11-12, 5-3 PacWest) 6-4 Wednesday to advance.
“It was a little nerve-racking at the beginning, but we all came together and shook off the nerves and played an awesome game,” Lininger said.
Battery mate and first-team All-State catcher Hailee Danneker said Coulter, a second-team All-State selection, was on the mark with her control and topping the radar gun with her velocity in notching the victory for Taft.
“Emma’s speed was really good today, and she was hitting all her spots. That helped us a lot,” she said.
Taft improved to 18-8 with the win while the 11th-seeded Vikings of Special District 2 finished their season 15-11.
“We hit the ball well and executed some great bunts,” Stuart said. “We also had one of our best base-running games. Overall, the coaching staff was proud of them.”
Softball’s state champion will be determined Friday, May 31, at the University of Oregon’s Jane Sanders Stadium.
Taft 11, Vale 1 VALE AB R H BI TAFT AB R H BI Grace Jacobs 3 0 1 0 Hailee Danneker 3 2 1 1 Sierra Cleaver 3 0 0 0 Addie Gates 4 3 3 2 Alexis Cleaver 2 0 0 0 Emma Coulter 3 2 2 3 Alexis Rodgers 2 0 0 0 Kayla Lininger 3 0 3 4 Sadie Thomas 2 0 0 0 Olivia Coulter 2 0 1 0 Izzy Sigran 2 0 0 0 Claira Tolan 3 0 1 0 Demiana Hardin 1 0 0 0 Kyla Knott 2 2 1 0 Sydney Thomas 2 0 0 0 Corey VanDamme 3 1 0 0 Bailey Tolman 2 0 2 1 Chloe Peterson 3 1 1 0 *Morgan Hager 0 1 0 0 TOTALS 19 1 3 1 TOTALS 26 11 13 10 VALE 000 01 -- 1 TAFT 200 45 -- 11 LOB--VALE 4, TAFT 6. E--Alexis Cleaver, Corey VanDamme. 2B--Addie Gates, Kayla Lininger, Emma Coulter. 3B--Emma Coulter. HBP--Kyla Knott. SACF--Hailee Danneker. SB--Grace Jacobs, Morgan Hager, Kyla Knott, Hailee Danneker (2), Emma Coulter. VALE IP H R ER BB SO HR Demiana Hardin 4.67 13 11 6 3 5 0 TAFT Emma Coulter 5.00 3 1 1 1 6 0 PB--Sadie Thomas. SO--Grace Jacobs, Izzy Sigran (2), Alexis Cleaver, Sydney Thomas (2), Hailee Danneker, Chloe Peterson, Claira Tolan, Corey VanDamme (2). BB--Demiana Hardin, Kayla Lininger, Olivia Coulter, Emma Coulter.
